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The customer experience is at the heart of the restaurant industry. Restaurants that are able to master the art of excellent customer service will see improved retention rates and higher profits. Even as small as a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profitability by 75%.

The quality of a restaurant’s customer service does depend heavily on the staff, but technology can help to make their job easier. This way, servers and hosts stay focused on creating an amazing experience for their guests. This is where guest management software comes into play.

How can this software help restaurants amplify their guest experiences?

Personalized Loyalty Programs

According to Marketing Land, a thoughtful loyalty program serves two purposes – one, to incentivize new clients to continue purchasing your goods and services, and two, to make sure existing clients feel valued by your establishment.

But how can a restaurant implement a loyalty program, let alone personalize it?

That’s where a guest management system comes in. With this software, restaurants can build loyalty programs as well as collect the customer data necessary to create personalized customer experiences.

For example, restaurant managers could track customer preferences like menu favorites and craft a loyalty program around the items the customer purchases the most.

Domino’s is already doing this. The “Piece of the Pie” rewards program tracks orders made online or through their mobile app. Members receive discounts and bonus offers based on their past purchases, and can easily track points earned through the mobile app.

Additionally, servers and hosts can use customer data to greet guests by name, offer congratulations when applicable, and/or start service with their favorite bottle of wine to truly personalize the dining experience.

Accurate Wait Times With Mobile Technology

Guest manager software integrated with a customer mobile app can enable hosts to add customers to a virtual waitlist and alert them via text message when their table is ready.

Instead of customers crowding the host stand, they’ll be out taking a walk or enjoying a drink at the bar while they wait for a table. From the mobile app, guests can track their place in line, update their preferences, and check out loyalty promotions.

Using this system can potentially help restaurants seat up to 28% more guests.

Another benefit of the system is that it can remove the hassle of seating servers evenly. Guest manager software keeps track of which servers have been sat recently and which are next in line for a table. The guest manager takes the guesswork out of seating and helps servers turn tables faster to maximize profits while alleviating stress on the hosts.

Streamlined Reservations

Guest manager software can also enable customers to order food or reserve a table via a mobile app. Not only are more customers looking to book with their phone (around a third of all reservations are made on mobile devices), but mobile booking also keeps staff members focused on serving customers, since reservations will automatically populate in the restaurant’s system.

Restaurants can also automatically send text reminders to guests 24 hours before their reservation to help reduce no-shows. Once the reservations are in the system, the software can automatically pre-assign tables so hosts won’t have to worry about where to seat guests when they arrive.

Final Thoughts

When customers have better dining experiences, they are more likely to come back again as well as spread the word to family and friends. With 74% of consumers citing word-of-mouth as a key influence in purchasing decisions, restaurants should focus on creating the kind of memorable, personalized experiences that get customers talking.

How does your restaurant utilize your guest manager system?

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